Worlds Collide
by Novalo Typo
Summary: From the Sky Era to the Twilight Era, there's always been heroes in each generation, always appearing to save Hyrule. Though courageous, they are always alone, always forced to fight alone in the end. What if two heroes from vastly different time periods, by chance, stumbled upon one another?
1. Chapter 1

**Worlds Collide**

"...Well, I think I really screwed up big time..."

Our favourite Skyward Sword Link scratched his head, looking at his map. Just a few minutes ago, everything was alright. All he had been doing was cruising through the Sky. After all, every hero needed a break from his duties.

Shaking his head sadly, Skyward Sword Link (who will now be known as "Skyward") rolled his map up and stuffed it back in his pouch. Turning to his adventure companion for answers, he unsheathed the Master Sword and called out, "Fi!"

As usual, a figure of a spirit-like girl appeared from the Blade of Evil's Bane. "Yes, Master Link?" Fi asked, ready to take on any question.

"Um, Fi," Link started, looking around nervously. "Where in Hylia's name are we?"

Fi took a moment to process the question, then answered in her robotic, emotionless voice.

"I believe this an altered version of Skyloft. It seems that the area has gone through a shift in time - and to be specific, I believe time has been shifted to the future."

"Midnaaa..."

"Shut up, brat."

"Midna!"

"Argh! What is it?"

"...Um, I don't really know how to phrase this, but..."

"Spit it out."

"Where exactly did you teleport us?"

The Twili stiffened and looked around at the surroundings. They were... unfamiliar. And considering everything that had gone wrong with unfamiliar locations, they were usually avoided by the traveling duo unless absolutely necessary.

"Well, we're still somewhere in Hyrule, so that's good..."

Link let out a sigh of relief.

"But the bad news is that I really have no idea where we are."

Twilight Princess Link (who we'll address as "Twilight") gave a long, sad sigh. "There's always bad news," he mumbled.

"Hello?"

After some exploring, Skyward realised that there was nobody there except for himself. And what Fi said was true; he could vaguely make out some of the places on the weird version of Skyloft, but everything was... more advanced, to say the least. Where did all the colours go? The hero sighed and shrugged. "With modernization comes uglification," he stated to himself. "Man, whoever decided to make these houses all warped must be demented."

"Uglifi - Midna, did you hear this guy?!"

Spinning around at the sudden voice behind him, Skyward spun around, unsheathed the Master Sword, displaying the Hylian Shield in front of him in all its glory. What he saw, though, was the last thing he thought he'd ever see. A boy - who, strangely and creepily, looked exactly like _himself_ - and an imp-like creature were standing side by side, the imp giving a look that screamed "don't give a damn" while the boy pointed at Skyward accusingly.

"I'm sorry, but what -" Skyward started.

"You should be!" The boy looked downright pissed, pointing at a house that looked like it was supported by a tree - or, rather, inside the tree. Skyward frowned. The house was interesting, but what did the future inhabitants of Skyloft do? Man, with all the plants being so mutated and stuff -

"Uglification?" The boy repeated, shocked and angry. "That's my house, and FYI, I spent _forever_ making it awesome like it is now!"

Skyward have a look of pity.

"Phhp! Ahahaha!" The imp started cackling maniacally, slapping her thigh. "Ha! You see that? He gave you the look! He gave you the "Pity" look!"

The boy blushed violently, growling, and shouted "shut up!" while unsheathing the sword strapped to his back, brandishing a shield at the same time. Skyward's eyes widened as he saw the weapons.

"The Master Sword... and the Hylian Shield?"

"Hey!" Twilight's eyes narrowed as he saw that they both had the same weapons. "What's with your pick of weapons?"

Skyward gave a confused look. He just gotten the True Master Sword a few hours back and there was no way that Lanayru would've made two Hylian Shields. "I'll say the same thing to you," Skyward hissed, tensing his body. "I just crafted the Master Sword about four hours ago and I don't think Lanayru would be _that_ generous. Why do you have replicas?"

"I - replicas?!" The boy screamed, performing a vicious jump attack directed toward the other hero. "Man, this guy's pissing me off more and more every time he opens his mouth!"

"Well, I'm sure you must be used to it. Listening to you, it seems like you have that kind of effect on everybody you talk to." Skyward have a silent cheer for his comeback, happy that he had actually learned something from Groose.

The imp began laughing again, rolling in midair. "Ahahaha! Man, I love this guy!"

The boy's face turned even redder and he let out a primal growl - one that shocked Skyward into a short daze of confusion. However, after the boy tried to land a stab on his abdomen, the Hero of the Sky narrowly dodged it by backflipping out of the way, going into his battle stance.

"Please calm down," Skyward begged, not expecting a battle. "I didn't mean to sound so rude, but I really think that we should avoid violence."

"Avoid violence, huh?" The clone said angrily. "Not happening. In fact, you're probably one of Zant's minions, aren't you? What, you have a doppelganger ability or something?"

Skyward cocked his head to the side, backing away from the angry warrior. "I'm sorry, but _minion_? And who's Zant?"

This time, the imp spoke up. She seemed fairly angry, playing with a ball of dark energy. "I'm not sure if you're playing dumb or not, kid. But seeing that you look exactly like Twilight over here, I'm gonna go on a whim and say you're a monster." Giving a yawn, the imp laid back in the air had closed her eyes. "Go wild, Twilight."

"Awesome." The clone, Twilight, closed the distance with a Jump Attack and followed up with several powerful slashes. Skyward gritted his teeth as he backflipped again, raising the Hylian Shield to block the follow-up attacks. _I don't want to hurt him, _the hero thought. _I'll go easy on him._ However, his defense dropped when he suddenly felt a familiar skill being used against him: the Shield Bash. With his balance wavering, the hero saw as the opposing blade was about to split him in two. Grabbing a gooey substance from his Adventure Pouch, Skyward flung his hand and chucked the Jelly Blob at Twilight's face.

"_Nayru!_" Twilight screeched, wiping his eyes viciously. Skyward took the chance to roll away, delivering a powerful jab to the warrior's side with the hilt of his blade. However, he had to dodge the swinging shield that nearby clubbed him. _What a vicious attack_, Skyward thought as he exchanged strikes with Twilight. _No knight fights by using his shield as a club._

"What a creative fighting style," Skyward commented. "Who'd you learn in from?"

"An undead warrior," Twilight replied blandly. "Not that you should care." The feisty warrior realized that the battle was going nowhere. The two were at a standstill, but Twilight could feel the minimal difference in power. The other was stronger.

"Tell you what," Twilight offered. "As thanks for that goo ball you threw at my face, I'll kick your ass."

Skyward's eyes narrowed as he tightened his grip on the Hylian Shield.

However, suddenly, Twilight wasn't in front of him anymore. Feeling an aura behind him, Skyward ducked and rolled away just in time to avoid his torso getting chopped off. However, right after standing up, he had to sidejump out of the way to narrowly dodge a jump attack that destroyed the surrounding ground around the blade.

"How reckless," Skyward commented. "Please refrain from damaging property that isn't yours."

"You dodged the Back Slice and the Jump Strike," Twilight hissed. "How?"

"I, uh... I was trained?"

The other simply got angrier at the lack of information and the battle continued on without any change. The two simply grew tired as the battle continued and began lugging their weapons around, both panting.

The imp creature opened her eyes, surprised at the sight. "Still duking it out? Wow." Floating around, she hovered in small circles around the two. "Impressive. Twilight, if you can't take care of this guy then I will."

Skyward paled as he thought back to how the imp could use magic. Magic usually meant bad news. Finding no easy way out, he raised the Master Sword skyward and watched, surprised, as a bolt of lightning struck down onto the blade. Giving a horizontal slash, a lightning-powered Skyward Strike crashed into both Twilight and the imp, sending them flying back.

"Fi!" Skyward called hurriedly. "How do I beat these guys?"

Fi appeared from the blade once more, observing the battlefield. Then, after a few moments of silence, she replied.

"I believe the best way to resolve this conflict is to display the Triforce mark on your hand."

"What Triforce mark - oh."

Pulling his glove off, Skyward blinked in awe as he saw the Triforce glow brightly on the back of his palm. _When did that get there?_ Skyward shook his head, focusing on the extremely pissed off duo in front of him.

"Wait!" He yelled, showing the glowing golden mark to the two. "See?"

Twilight's eyes went wide and the imp's angry expression turned into a shocked one.

"Please put away your weapons," Skyward suggested. "Can - can we talk about this?"

The two simply nodded and sat down.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **So, new chapter. Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword are two of my favourite Zelda games. Okay, some people may say "but Skyward Sword was so bad and it was annoying and blah blah blah." Okay, yes, fight the Imprisoned and doing to Silent Realms was less than enjoyable. But the storyline. God, the storyline. It was _beautiful._ And the music too. And the relationship between Link and Zelda. There's a lot more to Skyward Sword than most people think.

Twilight Princess was amazing. So yeah.

**Chapter Two**

"So, I'll start. I probably know more than you about this."

"Er - yeah, go ahead... I'm Twilight, by the way. The imp's Midna."

"Yeah, I figured that out. I'm Skyward."

"Er, hi. And sorry..."

"Okay." Skyward pulled his glove back on and unsheathed the Master Sword, raising it skyward. Light collected from the tip to the base of the blade, letting out a small shine when the entire blade was coated with light.

"This is the Master Sword. Now, before you say something and interrupt me, I'll explain." With the call of "Fi!" the spirit appeared again. Midna and Twilight's eyes widened at the sight of the strange newcomer.

"Yes, Master Link?"

"How far into the future is his time from the time I started my journey?"

"...The time difference is incalculable."

"And there you have it." Skyward sheathed the sword, sighing. "I forged the Master Sword by honing it with the Sacred Flames. Before, it was known as the Goddess Sword. And the Hylian Shield was given to me by Lanayru the Thunder Dragon. I guess my weapons were passed on, huh?"

"That explains why they're so worn out in my era." Twilight raised his Hylian Shield, observing how scratched and dull it was. "Pity."

"Wait a sec," Midna interrupted. "Why has no one asked about how you guys are literally _clones_ of each other?"

Skyward and Twilight exchanged glances. "Wait," Skyward said. "You're from the future and you share identical features with me. Does that mean..." Blushing madly, the hero's face fell into his hands as he moaned, "Oh, goddesses almighty..."

Twilight blinked for a while, trying to figure out why the older hero was freaking out. Then, discovering the reason at last, he let out a loud "Oh!" followed by a mumble of "...awkward..."

"Let me propose another theory to you idiots," Midna growled. "Skyward's a hero, Twilight's a hero. Both chosen by some random deity. You guys are probably gonna make history. Now, let's say that Skyward here did some really heroic stuff and died. Whatever."

Skyward didn't know what to say about his own death so he wisely decided to keep quiet.

"But then, when Zant and Ganondorf come, the goddesses go, 'oh, well shit. Looks like we need a hero again. Let's reincarnate Skyward!'"

Both heros were silent for a while. Then, Twilight broke the silence by proposing a handshake. Skyward took his hand, confused.

"...Hi, uh... me, I guess?"

"Um, hi?"

The silence reigned once more. This time, Skyward started talking.

"Oh, and this place you see here is Skyloft. It's my home."

Midna raised an eyebrow. "Skyloft? Never heard of it before."

"...Okay. Well, then. Midna, can you answer a question for me?"

"Huh? Sure, I guess."

"What's Skyloft called in the future?"

Midna let out a laugh while Twilight just whispered, "ignore her. She's acting smart." The Twili slapped the younger hero and hissed, "I heard that." Turning back to Skyward, she spread her hands and explained.

"Okay. Well, judging from some of the buildings here, I'm guessing this Skyloft place is called Hyrule in the future. Hyrule's a huge kingdom that has a bunch of races working under one throne - oh, the ruler of the kingdom is Princess Zelda."

Skyward paled when he heard Midna's statement. Blinking, the hero let out an incoherent stream of words, followed by a small "...eh?"

The two others simply stared.

"Sorry," Skyward apologized, rubbing his temples. "It's just... why is..."

"What?" Twilight demanded.

The Hero of the Sky shook his head. "You see, Zelda's a really close friend of mine. She's been my best friend since we were kids. In fact, she's the reason I started my adventure." Leaning back, Skyward looked up at the sky with a slightly nostalgic expression. "You see, a Demon King called Ghirahim kidnapped her and, well..." Gesturing to his weapons, he looked Twilight in the eye. "I was handed a blade and a shield and went to save her."

Midna gave a whistle when she heard the news. "Ooh. So your time's Zelda was your best buddy, huh?" Turning to Twilight, the Twili nudged him with a teasing look. "Jealous?"

"N-No way!" Twilight shouted, blushing and pulling his hat down in the process.

Clearing his throat, Skyward continued. "My adventures mainly took place on 'The Surface.' It's likely that it's called 'Hyrule' in your time. In fact, I just want to confirm this bit. Do the places Lanayru Desert, Eldin Volcano, and Faron Woods ring a bell?"

"Hell yes!" Twilight replied, snapping out of his embarrassment. "Faron Woods is basically my _home_. I know the place like the back on my hand - er, the hand that doesn't have the Triforce!"

"Lanayru Desert is also familiar," Midna stated. "We went through the desert, though there wasn't much scenery. And Eldin Volcano is probably Death Mountain in Hyrule."

Skyward snorted. "Fitting choice of name." Twilight and Midna could only grimly nod their heads in agreement.

The three sat in silence for a while, digesting the new information. After a while, Midna decided to strike up a conversation.

"Say," she said, breaking the silence. "This has been bothering me for a while, but..." Pointing to Skyward's Master Sword, she asked, "who's that ghost girl that pops out of your sword?"

"Oh, her?" Skyward gave a wide smile and called, "Fi!" In an instant, the spirit appeared from the Blade of Evil's Bane and asked, "Yes, Master Link?"

"Can you introduce yourself to these two?"

"Of course, Master Link." Turning to the two, Fi gave a polite bow before speaking. "I am Fi, the spirit of the Master Sword. I have been entrusted by the golden goddess Hylia to guide the hero along his quest to bring peace to the land. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"And before you ask, Hylia's probably the most important goddess in my time. She's the one that saved all the humans and protected the Triforce from getting taken by sending her people to the skies. And, also, just to tell you..." Skyward sighed and his face fell. "...In my time, Hylia was kind of reincarnated as... Zelda."

Twilight's jaw dropped.

"Ahahaha!" Midna cackled with uncontrollable laughter. "Twilight, y'hear that? Skyward's Zelda isn't _just_ a childhood friend, no, she's a goddess too!"

Twilight blushed even harder than before and covered his face. "Shut up, Midna!"

"...Master Link, are they speaking of Zelda in a suggestive manner? The flushing of the cheeks and the obvious emotion stress displays that -"

"Fi, can you be quiet for a sec?"

"Yes, Master Link."

"Anyway..." Skyward gave a slight cough and continued speaking. "Let's exchange adventures and compare similarities. Maybe we can narrow down where we are in time, and, you know... get some hints on how to get back to our own adventures." Leaning against a tree, the older hero gave a tired smile. "I'll go first."

"So, my days started really normally. I was a student at the Knight Academy on Skyloft. My grades weren't the best but my swordplay was exceptional, and -"

The three froze as the ground rumbled, causing all of them to stand and be on their guard. The scenery changed from being greyish and frozen in time to bursting with colour, peace, and harmony. The sky turned into a beautiful shade of blue and the water in a nearby lake started flowing. The wind swept through the trees and the occasional squawk of a Loftwing could be heard. A large smile made its way onto Skyward's face as the two others looked around, confused.

"Welcome to Skyloft," the older hero said cheerfully, though confused, spreading his arms.

Midna opened her mouth to say something, but then closed her mouth suddenly. "Uh, Skyward, dear - what the hell is that streak of red falling from the sky at insane speeds?"

"Oh. Guys, you should duck."

Twilight and Midna both ducked as a blur of red picked Skyward up and threw him high into the sky. The falling hero could be heard laughing as he fell, spreading his body out. When he reached a reasonable distance from the ground, he spread out a blue and white sailcloth which gently guided him to the ground.

The younger hero simply stuttered incoherently. "You - red - up - falling - heights - my goddesses - what -"

Midna slapped Twilight out of his daze and sighed, shaking her head. "Twilight, it's not his fault you're afraid of heights."

"Oh," Skyward said, running towards the two from his landing spot. "That's really not good. I'm guessing whatever I say will turn into reality in this weird dimension thingy, so we're going to have to go to the Surface."

Twilight squeaked as he asked, "...how are we getting there?"

"Oh, it'll be fine. All you're doing is sprinting off Skyloft. Of course, there's also the really long falling part."

"Joy," the younger hero replied, his voice barely audible and his face an unhealthy shade of white.

Midna put her hands out, stopping the conversation. "Wait. Skyward, what the hell was that red thing that picked you up and almost killed you?"

Skyward blinked a few times. "Oh. That was my Loftwing. Um, looks like he left. Wait a sec, guys. I'll be right back."

The two others watched in silence as they say Skyward jog towards the edge. He broke into a sprint and leapt off the edge, followed by a sharp whistle. Immediately, a loud squawk filled the air and a giant red bird swept down, bringing up Skyward with him. Both bird and rider made a quick lap around Skyloft before they both landed.

"This is a Loftwing," Skyward explained, petting the bird's crimson feathers. "Every resident on Skyloft has one. We use them as transportation to get around the Sky. They like to roam around instead of landing and will answer their owners immediately at the sound of a whistle."

The Crimson Loftwing nudged Twilight curiously, cocking his head. Skyward laughed, watching as the younger hero gave a sceptical look. "They're also very curious and bossy sometimes and occasionally shove you off cliffs if they really want a ride. They also do what just happened to me a lot."

Twilight turned another frightening shade of white. He seemed to have stopped breathing all at once. Midna sighed and shook her head, causing her orange ponytail to swing around gently. "Don't mind Twilight over here," she said in a monotone voice. "Heights are horrible for him."

"I can clearly see that," Skyward replied in a flat tone. Crossing his arms, the older hero shrugged. Some people were just naturally afraid of heights. Those people were the ones that stayed grounded - er, Skylofted. But anyway," the hero said. "I'll continue. The scenery will probably change a lot, so just bear with me."

"So, to repeat what I said before, my grades weren't pretty but my swordsmanship was the best. Admittedly, I was also a slacker, so sleeping in was probably what got me in trouble the most..."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **So... I had this urge to write, and... yeah. Twenty pages, so hooray.

**Disclaimer:**Nintendo owns everything.

**Chapter Three**

"So, to repeat what I said before, my grades weren't pretty but my swordsmanship was the best. Admittedly, I was also a slacker, so sleeping in was probably what got me in trouble the most."

**Skyward and Zelda sat in the classroom of the Knight Academy. The hero had his face buried in a book, drool dripping down in a thin stream while a happy and dreamy expression coated his features. The teacher was giving a lesson when Zelda stood up, walked over calmly from her desk, waking him up by slamming a thick book into his head. Skyward straightened suddenly, his eyes blurred with sleepiness and pain. All the other students laughed while the blue-eyed hero simply ducked his head and laughed sheepishly.**

"I can relate to that," Twilight responded with a frown, rubbing his head, feeling the older hero's pain. Midna simply snigered. Skyward gave a small laugh, watching himself get teased. It wasn't his fault that beauty sleep came to some more easily than others! Why else did all the girls on Skyloft coo at him creepily? Anyway, sleep was healthy and rejuvenating! Shaking his head, the older hero continued.

"My days on Skyloft were peaceful - that is, until the Wing Ceremony this year."

"What's the Wing Ceremony?" Midna asked, slightly curious as to see what Skyward's culture was like.

"The Wing Ceremony is a competition where all the to-be Knights in the Knight Academy compete against one another. Basically what happens is the Headmaster ties a statue to his Loftwing and we all chase after it on our own respective Loftwings. First one to get the statue wins and is knighted up to the senior class. The others stay as they are and have another chance the year after."

"Let me guess," the Twili continued. "You won."

"That's right," Skyward smiled, pleased that the Midna was making him sound awesome. Then, remembering something, the hero frowned. "Though some people cheated and tried to put me out of the race. Anyway, I had to jump from the Statue of the Goddess with this Sailcloth that Zelda made for me." Pulling out his trusted Sailcloth, Skyward gave a sad smile. "It works wonderfully. Never rips, never fails me."

**Skyward stood in front of Zelda on the top of the Statue of the Goddess. The blond girl reached out her and and the hero placed the bird statuette in her hand, to which she transferred into a little platform. Then, she backed away, pulling out a shiny, curved, golden harp. Closing her eyes, she began to strum the strings.**

"That's a pretty instrument," Twilight commented. "What is it?"

"It's called a harp. In fact, it's the Goddess Harp. It's not that hard to play, actually. Just a bit of -"

"You have musical prowess, huh?" Midna smiled. Gesturing the Link, she added, "this kid can sing pretty well. Maybe you guys can perform a little duet for me!"

Twilight flushed and have an angry but embarrassed glare. "I'm not your personal pet monkey, Midna!"

"Really? Could've fooled me."

Skyward thought for a second, then said, "I'm fine with that. I don't think performing a talent is embarrassing." Turning to the younger hero, he added, "In fact, I'd like you hear you sing!" Twilight gave a shocked and betrayed look, then sighed dejectedly. "Later," he mumbled. "Let's go back to watching these flashbacks."

**Beautiful chords and harmonies filled the air, breaking through the silence of Skyloft with gentle ease. The music slowly died away as Zelda opened her eyes, turning back to Skyward. She offered her hand out again. Skyward placed his hand on her palm and kneeled in front of her bending his head down. Zelda gave a smile as she began to speak.**

"**Great goddess, guiding light and protector of our people, grant us your blessing and mercy as I act in your stead during this ceremony." Bowing her head down even further, the girl continued. **_**"Valiant youth who grasped victory at the celebration of the bird folk... in accordance with the old ways..." **_**A small smile made its way onto Skyward's expressions, though it was barely visible because his head was down. **_**"I now bestow the blessings of the goddess upon you."**_

**Untying the shawl on her shoulders, Zelda cocked her head and smiled lightly as she handed the shawl - which was actually a sailcloth - to Link. **_**"The blessings of the goddess drift down from the heavens aloft a sail, which I now pass onto you." **_**The hero took it gratefully, making a big motion out of it by holding it above his head in a joking manner.**

Midna laughed at the similarities between Twilight and Skyward. "I find it funny how both of you have some kind of pose whenever you get your hands on something cool." Twilight frowned. "My pose is less theatrical," he defended himself. Skyward looked offended. "What's wrong with being a bit dramatic here and there?" And, under his breath, added a small "...I mean, it smelled nice..."

Midna laughed, turning back to watch the rest.

**Zelda scolded Skyward gently for messing around in a joking manner in which the hero laughed off. Then, thinking of something, Zelda added, "You know, they say that the goddess gave the Sailcloth to her chosen hero long ago."**

"I always thought she had some uncanny sense for predicting the future," Skyward sighed.

Twilight blinked as he pointed to the Sailcloth. "She handmade that, didn't she?"

"Yes. It was really well made."

**After a bit of talking, a mischievous smile made its way onto Zelda's face. She walked forward. "Now, we should really finish up this ritual..."**

Skyward paled. "Right. This."

Twilight gave nervous glance while Midna bounced evilly, cackling.

"**You... do know what happens at the end, right?"**

"KISS!" Midna screamed manically.

"SHUT UP!" Twilight screeched, face completely pink.

**Skyward gave a blank look, the resorted to a sheepish grin, scratching his head. "Nope."**

**Zelda smiled, leaning forward so that their faces were just barely apart.**

"Yes!" Midna cheered. Twilight started twitching every so lightly. Skyward simply braced himself.

**Seeing the growing blush on the hero's face, she spun him around, making him face the edge of the statue. "You have to jump off the statue!"**

Midna frowned while Twilight gasped as he saw the height. "Oh my goddesses," he said in a quiet voice. "I'm so glad I wasn't swapped with you."

Skyward sighed. "It gets worse. I had to land exactly in the center of a circle or else I had to try again until I got it right."

The younger hero faced Skyward with a sceptical look. "That doesn't seem that bad. You get lots of tries, right?"

Another sigh. "I did it in one try, but I hated it."

**Zelda smiled innocently as she watched Skyward give a look of shock. In his moment where he lowered his guard, she stuck both her arms out and pushed him straight off the edge. Screaming was heard, but miraculously, the hero landed dead center, panting and wheezing.**

Midna nodded in realization. "I see. I should use that trick on Twilight."

"Firstly, NO WAY IN HELL. Secondly..." The younger hero blushed. "Looks like your Zelda's quite friendly," Twilight mumbled with a hint of jealousy. Midna cackled. Skyward shrugged, though a wide smile was visible of his face.

"After I won, I had the day off, so Zelda and I decided to make a round of Skyloft on our Loftwings. Looking up at the sky, the hero closed her eyes. "It was really relaxing."

**Zelda and Skyward were both cruising through the skies, each on a Loftwing, one a purple-blue and one crimson, respectively.**

"It's like a mini date," Midna commented. Skyward blushed and found great interest in his boots.

**Zelda the called Link over, to which he responded by edging over. "Today was amazing. Watching you win and performing the ritual together... I'll always remember this. It was really wonderful."**

**Skyward smiled and nodded when he heard her words. "Yeah!"**

"I ship it," the Twili said in a monotone voice. Twilight drooped.

"**You know, Skyward... there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about..."**

"'I was just wondering how many kids you wanted!'" Midna interrupted, causing Skyward to blush so hard that he was literally steaming. Twilight whacked the Twili. "Okay, we get it. Zelda and Skyward are a couple. Now, if you'd please SHUT UP."

"I'd like that too," Skyward commented, gripping his hands into fists. A dark look made its way onto his face as the hero shook his head angrily. "Because the next part is vital to understanding why I had to be the Hero in the first place."

**A flash suddenly blasted across the sky, causing a black tornado to sweep out from nowhere. The two riders struggled to control their Loftwings in the chaos. "What's happening?" Zelda cried, sinking lower and lower as the force of the wind dragged her down. Then, with a slip of the hand, Zelda fell off her Loftwing, screaming and reaching out. "Skyward! Help!"**

"**No! Zelda!" Trying desperately to hang on and grab his childhood friend at the same time, Skyward attempted a desperate dive downwards into the frenzy which resulted in getting thrown off his Loftwing. The crimson bird gave a squawk as he tried to save his rider from plummeting to his doom. **

**Then, suddenly, all went black.**

"That tornado was caused by the demon lord Ghirahim," Skyward said hatefully, clenching his fist. His voice lowered to a snarl, surprising Twilight and Midna, who had only seen his happy side so far. "He knocked Zelda out of the sky and nearly captured her. He succeeded once, but she had someone with her, so she was okay." Raising his fist to his face, the older hero gripped it even harder as the Triforce mark shone violently. "I'll never forgive him. I'll defeat him and get Zelda back. It doesn't matter what I have to do."

Twilight nodded grimly, understanding how desperate his ancestor was. When Zant started causing havoc, there wasn't anything that could stop it. With that desperation in mind and with Midna by his side, Twilight grew stronger from his failures and built bridges with his successes.

"There's always that one nasty self-proclaimed King," Midna said with disdain, thinking of how similar Twilight and Skyward's adventures started. An evil king/usurper/lord would make a sudden appearance, invade their homes and rip their peaceful lives apart, which of course lead to both of the heroes leading epic and tedious quests.

"I couldn't agree more even if I tried," Skyward hissed. After most of his anger had dissipated, hs continued. "After I blacked out, I was rescued by my Loftwing and I told the Headmaster of the school I went to what happened - oh, by the way, Zelda's the Headmaster's daughter. He was insanely worried, obviously, but he told me to take it easy and sleep through the day."

"But you didn't," Midna finished.

"Of course not," Skyward laughed. "But before I regained consciousness, I had this weird dream. I was falling in pure darkness when this blue light shone above me. I saw Fi and it seemed like she was calling to me. Suddenly, everything was flipped. I was still falling, but Zelda appeared. I was facing downwards, reaching out to her... and the black, scaly jaws of a monster swallowed her whole."

Twilight gulped nervously. "Ominous..."

"You don't get it." Dropping his head, Skyward looked down sadly. "I tried to go immediately after I got up. When I told the Headmaster what happened, the look on his face... it made me feel so guilty. I kept thinking, 'this is all my fault. Zelda's gone and her father's so worried because I screwed up.'"

Midna shook her head and sat down on the ground. "That's hardly fair," she fired back. "It's not like you made the tornado or something."

"Say what you like," Skyward waved his hand dismissively. "It's because of me that everybody got into this mess. I'm not changing my mind."

"Just leave it," Twilight interrupted when he saw Midna open her mouth again. He knew how Skyward was feeling. When the Light Spirit Faron revealed that he was the hero, he didn't know what to feel. Such a title... it was so heavy. The tiniest mistake could lead to the worst event.

"It was after I woke and the Headmaster left that I heard this voice calling to me. When I opened my eyes, I saw Fi, floating by my bed, repeating my name. Naturally, I followed her all the way to The Statue of the Goddess, where I found the Goddess Sword resting in a pedestal."

**The darkness morphed into a gentle cave-like atmosphere lit by bright torches all around the room with a shining aquamarine blade in the center. Skyward was seen walking in with a confused expression on his face, but when he saw the sword, his confusion turned into curiosity. **

**It was then that Fi flipped out from the sword, raising her head to face the boy.**

"**The one chosen by my creator. I have been waiting for you. You will play a role in a great destiny."**

"Creator?" Midna asked, confused. "I thought that Fi was just a ghost or something."

"Fi was created by Hylia, the Golden Goddess," Skyward explained. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Twilight's eyebrows shot up. "A sentient created ghost? Well, better than a bitchy midget imp."

Said bitchy midget imp stiffened and slowly turned to face her travel companion, a freakishly happy expression on her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Can you say it again?"

The older hero shook his head as he watched his reincarnated form sprint away from exploding balls of black energy. The relationship between the two was clearly more lax than his relationship with Fi. Well, then again, the spirit of the Master Sword was kind lacking in emotions...

"**According to your social customs, I should provide you with my personal designation. Fi is the name I was given."**

"Fancy language," the younger hero pointed out. "What, is she a robot or something?"

Midna slapped Twilight's head. "Just because you're stupid doesn't mean she's a robot."

"Um, actually..." Skyward started quietly.

"**I was created for a single purpose, long before the recorded memory of your people."**

"Does she have no will?" The orange-haired Twili asked.

Thinking for a bit, Skyward shrugged. "Fi was created like that. She doesn't possess emotions and listens to everything I say. But it does seem like she has some control over her actions."

"**I must aid you in fulfilling the great destiny that is your burden to carry."**

**The ghostly blue girl turned her head to look at the Goddess Sword, as if gesturing to it. "Come, Skyward. You must take up this sword. As the one chosen by my creator, it is your destiny."**

**Skyward, still in shock by all the information that was being revealed to him, stayed in his spot, not sure what to do. What would he gain from drawing the blade? There was no time for quests when Zelda was missing! He stiffened and replied rudely, "Why should I?"**

**Fi seemed to realize Skyward's confusion and inner turmoil. Nodding her head, she continued. "The strange dreams troubling your sleep. My sudden appearance. Uncertainty surrounding the fate of one you hold dear. Under these circumstances, it is only logical that you would exhibit some apprehension."**

Twilight blinked a few times. "You didn't want the sword at first?"

"Zelda was missing," Skyward defended himself. "I thought that some quest would draw me away from looking for her."

**Skyward's eyes narrowed. Was Fi going to force the sword upon him? Everything about the situation was unclear. "So...?"**

**Fi reacted once again to the hero's change in attitude. "To minimize your uncertainty, allow me to share some information. My projections indicate that this information has a high probability of altering your current emotional status."**

**Skyward's head went up. Was it going to be a threat?**

"**The one you seek, honorable Zelda, is still alive."**

**The hero's blue eyes widened in shock. Zelda was fine? She was okay?**

"**Where is she?" Skyward demanded. "Is she injured? **

**Fi seemed to ignore all of his questions and continued with her explanation of the situation. "And this spirit maiden... the one you call Zelda... is another chosen one fated to be part of the same great mission. Therefore, should you wish to meet with your friend, I highly recommend you take up this sword before you set out to search for her."**

Skyward frowned as he looked back on the past. If he had known Fi's intentions at first he wouldn't have been so suspicious and hesitant. "You know, looking back, it makes me laugh that I was so cautious. I mean, you probably went for it when you were forced upon a destiny you didn't want, right?"

Twilight sighed. "I had this glob of messed up light animal give me clothing and tell me 'oh, so by the way, you're supposed to save Hyrule or something. Here's a green tunic and a bunch of random accessories. Oh, gotta go. Tah!'"

"Oh, and you say _I'm_ rude," Midna snorted, turning her head.

"You are," Twilight replied bluntly. Pulling on his own green tunic and chain mail, he gave a smile. "Looks like your green tunic got passed down, huh?"

Skyward raised his head in a boasting manner. "It's iconic," he said proudly, pounding on his chest with his fist. "I'm the only one on Skyloft with a green tunic. I guess it was just by luck I got green and not, say, blue."

"Tried blue," Twilight said with disdain. "Not my colour."

"Anyway," Skyward continued. "This flashback makes me look pretty, um... non-heroic, for a lack of words."

"**Does that information invigorate you?" Fi asked, her robotic voice echoing across the dim room. "Are you ready to accept this sword?"**

**At her words, Skyward reacted instantly, running forward toward the pedestal. Fi floated away to allow him access to the sword, her glassy eyes still focused on her to-be master.**

"**It seems that further persuasive measures will not be required." Nodding her head, the spirit confirmed the fact. "In the name of my creator, draw the sword and raise it Skyward."**

"Speaking of which..." Twilight unsheathed his version of the Master Sword then raised it to the sky. Nothing happened and Midna just stared at him with a disappointed glance.

"Nothing happened," the younger hero pointed out with a pout. Skyward shrugged, also clueless.

"Maybe Fi did something to the sword. Every time I raise the blade a fraction of an angle up, it starts collecting energy."

**Skyward stood in silence for a few moments, collecting his thoughts. **_**For Zelda**_**, he finally decided. Taking a deep breath, the blond readied his battle stance, wrapping his hands around the aquamarine hilt. With a firm tug, the blade slid easily out of the pedestal. Flipping the blade around, the hero pointed the blade skyward and watched in awe as light slowly around the blade from top to bottom. **

**Fi seemed satisfied with the outcome of her work. "Recognition complete, Master..."**

"So Skyward gets the obedient one," Twilight mumbled under his breath."

"**Skyward... my master."**

**Still in shock, the young hero stared at the Goddess Sword, lowering the hilt to eye level. His eyes were still disbelieving as the light shone from the blade.**

"After that, Headmaster Gaepora walked in and explained the legend of the hero to me," Skyward continued. "He said that Hylia planned everything. The hero's mission, the Goddess Sword, Fi... all of it. He also stated his amazement and more stuff like that."

"So he knew all along," Midna commented duly. "But he couldn't see that Triforce mark on your hand?"

Blinking, the older hero looked down on his right hand. "Right," he said to himself, quickly remembering that for some strange reason, the Triforce implanted itself on the back of his hand.

Twilight's eyes widened when he saw Skyward's Triforce mark. "You have every single part of the Triforce!" he said, shocked.

"Um... so what? I collected them. They were part of my mission. I had to find them and put the Triforce together to defeat -"

"Kid, you don't know what people would do for the Triforce in our time," Midna growled. "Power hungry idiots of all kinds decide that having a piece of that golden triangle. There's this ugly jerk called Ganondorf in our time who decided that taking over Hyrule and killing a bunch of people was a magnificent way to get his hands on the Triforce."

Skyward stayed silent for a while with his mouth gaping. Was the Triforce that valuable in the future? Then... did that mean that right now, he had the artifact that was going to cause the deaths of millions of innocent people?

"Then, tell me," the older hero whispered, his voice low and tired. "What exactly is the Triforce for?"

Twilight panicked when he saw the older hero sigh shake his head sadly. There was no doubt that Skyward's journey had been hard. The younger hero had once thought that he was the only one in the entire world who understood the burden of being a hero. Being turned into a wolf, forced into an unwanted destiny, having your friends ripped away from you... all of it was bad, but certainly not as bad as other situations that could have happened. The soldiers at Hyrule Castle, in fact, probably had it worse than himself. They were just men dressed in armor that stood around a castle all day. They had no special moments. Who was there to care about them other than their families? Action, fame... all of it would be foreign to them.

But the way Skyward's shoulders dropped and eyes glassed over showed that he had been through hardship, even though it was different. He started off as a knight who was supposed to protect his people. Even after he achieved his goal, people edged him on to become something greater. He was given an opportunity to save someone he cared for... but what he didn't know was the fact that when he took up the Goddess Sword, he also accepted a burden that was the result of an unfinished war from millennia ago.

"Don't misunderstand," Twilight said hurriedly. "Sure, the Triforce is the center of a lot of bloodshed, but it's also what stops it, too!" Raising his left hand, the younger hero displayed the glowing Triforce of Courage. "The Triforce of Courage is what made me into a hero so I could stop the meaningless fighting. And Zelda has the Triforce of Wisdom, too. Don't be upset. It's not like everything's in shambles in the future or anything."

"Though that makes me happier, it doesn't change the fact that the Triforce is a potential weapon that could destroy the world," Skyward commented, sadness lingering in his voice. Then he lifted his head and gave a smile towards his reincarnated form. "But thank you for saying that."

"Yada, yada, yada," Midna yawned, uninterested. "Let's get on with the show."

"**Skyward!"**

**The headmaster's voice snapped the young hero out of his trance as he looked back at the entrance of the statue, seeing Gaepora standing behind him. At first, the headmaster's eyes showed surprise, but they eventually displayed certainty.**

"**I've had my suspicions, but until now I wasn't sure." The man nodded his head. "Yet here we are in the Chamber of the Sword, the very place where it was foretold the youth of legend would one day appear." Looking around the chamber, the headmaster eventually let his eyes settle on Skyward's still form. "It is said that this place was left to our people by the goddess herself. The very knowledge of this room is a secret passed down to a select few each generation, along with a handful of words..."**

"This Headmaster dude knows it all, huh?" Midna snorted. Did there always have to be an oracle person?

**Link turned around fully, holding the Goddess Sword upwards to examine the blade a bit better. Fi simply floated in the back, her face stoic as usual as the Headmaster began reciting. **

"_**When the light of the goddess's sword shines bright, the great apocalypse will awaken from its long slumber. Do not fear, for that is when a youth, guided by my hand, shall reveal himself in a place most sacred."**_** The headmaster walked towards Skyward, a smile on his face. "It started days ago. The sword I've kept a secret for all these years... it began to give off a faint, otherworldly light." Laughing to himself, the man continued speaking. "At first I was sure I was seeing things, here alone with the sword. There was simply no other explanation. I never the prophecy of legend would come to pass in my lifetime."**

**Looking up to the floating spirit of the Goddess Sword, Gaepora's eyes widened a little in wonder. "The words I have sworn to keep secret are coming true right before my eyes." **

"Oh, and about this Headmaster guy," Midna interrupted. "Is he, like, a father figure of yours or something?"

Skyward raised an eyebrow. He had never really thought of that before. "Maybe a little," he admitted. Then the hero stopped in his tracks, realizing something. "Wait, how did you know that I didn't have a father?"

"It's a trait that runs in all heroes that they apparently can't have parents," Twilight commented, sighing. "I don't have any relatives. I guess they got killed or something."

"..." Skyward stayed silent for a while. What had happened to his parents? Oh well. Heroes got fame, glory, and power. They always had to miss out on something. "I guess I find it kind of normal. Skyloft barely has any people at all, so I was fine without parents. Our entire society is basically this chain of people helping people."

"Lucky," the Twili whistled. "In Hyrule, it's basically a dog eat dog system. The weak get eaten by the strong. The kingdom, as big as it is, is pathetically small as well."

"The world itself is small," Skyward mused. "As vast as its borders may be - as a hero, once you've explored it all, you see that it's not as impressive as you think it is."

"_**The youth shall be guided by the one born of the blade - one who is also youthful in likeness yet wise with knowledge immeasurable." **_**Gaepora finished with a satisfied nod, eyes shifting to the floating spirit.**

**Fi's visage stayed the same as she hummed. "Ah yes, the oral tradition, one of the least reliable methods of information retention and transmission. It appears that critical sections of the passage have been lost over the generations."**

"**How do you know so much?" Skyward interrupted, curious. Fi simply stared as she replied. "My creator gifted me with knowledge that is unmatchable. I am well versed in the legends your people hold dear. Now, if you please, allow me to recite to you the words lost in time."**

**Gaepora's eyes widened at the thought of hearing more of Hylia's legendary scripts. Skyward, still curious, waited to see what more was to unfold.**

**Fi dropped down from her high position, her toes barely hovering above the ground. **_**"The youth who draws forth the guiding sword shall be known as goddess's chosen hero, and it is he who possesses an unbreakable spirit. He shall be burdened with the task of abolishing the shadow of apocalypse from the land. Such is his destiny."**_

Midna nodded at Fi's words. "Hylia seemed to have understood how much of a burden the hero would have to take."

"She seems like a very understanding goddess," Twilight commented. "It's a shame she isn't known to the people in the future."

At the younger hero's words, Skyward's head snapped up. Holding up a hand, he paused the conversation. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I-I said that Hylia isn't exactly prayed to in the future..."

"But... that's..."

The familiar sound of a blade being unsheathed drew Skyward's eyes to the floating blue spirit that had made herself known. "Excuse me for interrupting, Master. However, I could not help but notice that the levels of confusion at the present moment are unnaturally high. May I aid with the providence of information?"

"Yes, please," the hero of the sky said quickly. "Tell me, why is Hylia's name wiped in the future?"

"As you already know, Her Grace sacrificed her immortal form and was given a mortal body as of so. The friend who you address as Zelda is such form of Her Grace. According to the knowledge I possess at the moment, the mortal body will cease to function correctly when it reaches a certain point in aging, leading to a symptom known as 'death'. As pitiful as the results are, Her Grace will die as a mortal, leaving the world forever. She will not be remembered as the Golden Goddess but rather as a close friend of the hero."

Skyward's eyes widened in shock as he heard Fi's harsh but true words. He gave a sad, tired smile and sighed. "I should've known. But I still can't fathom the fact that Hylia... the goddess who did so much to raise a legend to the skies..." Clenching his hand tightly, the hero's eyes dropped to the ground. "Dies and turns into a whisper in the wind, just like that. I suppose it proves how simple lives are. Even a _goddess_ was forgotten over a few hundred years or so."

Not sure how to comfort the older hero, Twilight stayed silent for a while before thinking of an idea.

"Say, have you heard of the legend of the Hero of Time?"

Skyward's head lifted, eyes filling with curiosity. "No, I can't say I have."

"Well, the story goes like this. A young hero dressed in all green, the Blade of Evil's Bane in hand, rose when Hyrule was about to fall into the hands of an evil king. He fought many battles and overcame many challenges, traveling from volcanoes to chambers of spirit and even through time itself to save Hyrule. And that he did. The story is simple from a legend's view, but I'm sure this Hero of Time would have more to say."

"Wait." Skyward paused the conversation again. "Fi, tell me about this Hero of Time."

The blue spirit paused for a moment before shaking her head lightly in confusion. "I am sorry, Master. I do not possess any information regarding this 'Hero of Time'. May I suggest a reason why?"

"Um, yes. Go ahead."

"I believe that this legend took place in between the timelines you each came from. This reasoning would explain why you have not heard of this legend."

"Smart," Midna said, intruding into the conversation. "And, by the 'dressed in green' part, I'm gonna go on a limb here and say that this hero was another reincarnation of Skyward." The Twili smiled at the older hero. "Quite heroic, huh? Looks like you were so awesome that the goddesses passed down your clothing and your looks. Impressive."

"I-I wouldn't put myself so highly," the hero stuttered out. Then, thinking of something, he blinked and added, "oh, but I've traveled through time as well."

"WHAT?" Twilight instantly scooched closer, curiosity burning in his eyes. "How?"

Skyward scooched back as the younger hero moved forward. "I-In Lanayru, there are these things called Timeshift Stones. They pretty much revert the area around them back in time. Oh, there were these Timeshift Orbs, too. They were pretty much moveable Stones. They were really awesome... and also really annoying. Do you know how long it took me to figure out that one stupid room in Sky Keep just because the Orb raised a wall so I couldn't shoot an arrow through the switch? A-And it took me forever to actually see that Stone at the top of the Sandship, too, and then there was -"

"Kid," Midna interrupted. "You're rambling."

"So then I - oh. Y-Yes, I'm sorry. I have this bad habit of rambling whenever I get embarrassed." Then, blushing madly, the older hero buried his face in his hands. "Oh, why in Hylia's name did I just tell you that? Zelda always said that my personality changed a lot whenever she mentioned something stupid I did in front of people and oh Hylia why do I always talk so much it's like I caught a disease from Groose I _knew_ hanging around him was bad but _nooo_ he had to shove his stupid hair in my face and -"

"Skyward!" Midna yelled. "Use your period marks and your commas. Also, breathe."

The hero of the sky took a deep breath, exhaling it in one long, wheezing stream. Twilight simply stared awkwardly. "That," the younger hero said, voice hesitant, "was freaky as hell. How can you speak that quickly?"

"I-I had this really bad stutter as a k-kid, and it made me speak r-really fast. I, um, slowed down my speech eventually, b-but I still kept the s-stutter."

"Wow. I would have never guessed." Midna snorted, waving her hand dismissively. "Let this be a lesson to all of us. Complimenting Skyward is officially forbidden."

"I'm fine with that," the older hero commented. "It sounds like I-I'm having a sugar rush, so I'm very fine w-with calming down."

"How long does this usually last for?" Twilight asked. Skyward smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. I-It goes away after a few minutes."

"Thank Din," the Twili mumbled.

"_**With the spirit of the blade at his side, he shall soar over the clouds and plummet below..."**_

"Neither of which sound pleasant," Twilight added.

"_**And united with the spirit maiden, shall bring forth a piercing light that resurrects the land."**_

**At Fi's words, Skyward's eyes widened. What had Zelda said before...?**

_**Some of father's old texts talk about a place called the **_**surface. **_**The old tales describe a whole new world, far more vast than Skyloft!**_

**Skyward thought of the possibilities. Could Zelda be on the 'surface'?**

"**Master, you must embark on a great journey beneath the clouds to the vast realm of the surface."**

"Speaking of which," Twilight interrupted. "Did you really think there was nothing below the clouds? Don't you know what 'sky' means?"

Skyward thought for a bit before speaking. "Well, let's put it this way. Say that as you grew up, clouds always covered the sky and you could never see the sun. People would talk about legends of this big ball of fire in the sky, but they were always just stories. Would you believe that the sun existed?"

"He has a point, idiot," Midna growled. "Skyward grew up living in the sky. It's not like he ever actually believed there was a surface. Think before you talk, stupid." Twilight huffed and crossed his arms.

"**It is only through this mission that you can fulfill the mission set before you by my creator, the goddess. It is also the only way for you to reunite with the spirit maiden, honorable Zelda."**

**Headmaster Gaepora shook his head. "This is no easy task, Skyward. The world below is a forsaken place, and to reach it you must pierce the cloud barrier below. In living memory, no one has ever done this."**

"Question," Twilight cut through. "Why's the surface forsaken?"

"Well, you see, there was a huge battle millennia ago," The elder hero explained, pleased to see that he had actually learned something in class. "Hylia was the fighting Demise - err, the big bad guy. Ever since she decided to put Skyloft up in the skies, legends were passed down about how dangerous the Surface was. And, well... it is quite dangerous."

Twilight laughed awkwardly. "I can only imagine. When I set out on my journey, I had already fought off some Deku Babas and such... I guess you could say that I could imagine how dangerous my enemies were going to be. You, on the other hand..."

Skyward shrugged. "It was okay, I guess. I had Fi to help, so it sped up things." Pausing for a second, the older hero added, "and, just out of curiosity, what was the most dangerous place you've been?"

Midna and Twilight exchanged glances, then instantly replied, "the Twilight Realm."

"The Twilight Realm is actually my homeland," the Twili added. "But Link here has had some _very_ bad experiences in there."

The younger hero shivered, a chill running down his spine. "Please don't mention them. It brings back very disturbing memories."

Skyward chuckled a she watched Midna whisper taunting words into Twilight's ear, causing the hero to twitch and jolt at every sentence. Then, after a few semi-traumatizing memories later, the younger hero turned and asked, "well, I've shared my horrors. You?"

"Um... that's a hard one. There was Eldin Volcano, but that wasn't bad after I got the Fireshield Earrings. And Faron's _anything_ but dangerous. Lanayru was annoying, but the Clawshots helped... well, if we're judging this by how many times I came close to dying, I'd have to say -"

Pausing in mid sentence, the hero froze in position as sweat began trickling down his face. "Ah ha. Ah ha ha ha ha. Oh, right. Wow. I almost forgot. Yes, yes, of course. Dying... dying... so fun, right?"

Midna starred as the Hero of the Sky laughed creepily and started talked to himself. Then, turning to Twilight, she said, "I think you broke him."

"I did not!" The younger hero yelled defensively.

"Scary, big, heavy footsteps. Completely defenseless and vulnerable. Running... running... running far, far, away..."

"He's definitely broken," Midna repeated flatly.

"Is not," Twilight said. Shaking Skyward's shoulders, the younger hero attempted to snap the older out of his trance. "Skyward," he said. "You're rambling."

Skyward shut up immediately after hearing that phrase. Years' worth of being told he was talking too quickly or rambling had taught him to shut up before he got thrown off a cliff. That was how he had learned that Zelda hated listening to him talk on and on.

"Yes, I'm sorry." The hero took a deep breath, steadying himself. "For me, the most dangerous place was..." Looking up dramatically, Skyward narrowed his eyes and said, "the Silent Realm."

"'Silent Realm'?" Midna repeated, skeptical. "Doesn't sound bad. What made it so dangerous?"

"Well, the Silent Realm was actually a trial designed by Hylia - who knows what she was thinking - to test the chosen hero. In this case, me. Oh, I rue the day I ever set foot into that place..."

"Please leave the traumatizing flashbacks for later," Midna said, annoyed. "Go on."

"Yeah. Yeah. Okay..." Taking another breath, the hero continued. "The Silent Realm is actually just a calmer, more serene and empty version of real-life places. For me, there were four. Faron Woods, Lanayru Desert, Eldin Volcano, and Skyloft."

"That seems completely harmless," Twilight commented, raising an eyebrow. "Care to explain why they were so dangerous?"

"Oh, yes." Then, putting on his best Ghirahim imitation, Skyward decided that his reincarnated, less experienced self could use a little scare. Eyes narrowing and smile widening, the hero began speaking in a silky, menacing voice.

"Imagine a world with the colors stripped and the liveliness gone. Now, add statue-like figures twice your height who are armed with giant clubs and blades so sharp you wouldn't even feel it cutting through your flesh before you realized you were bleeding to death. Then, dear Twilight, please envision ghost-like statues of two kinds: those who roam the ground and those who patrol the sky. If you happen to step underneath the light of the lanterns they hold..." Giving a dark chuckle, the hero flicked his bangs back. "The entire realm collapses in on itself, tearing down that peaceful atmosphere. You are now left with a world where the statues are in a relentless pursuit for one target - _you_."

Twilight was frozen in his position, cowering in fear at this bipolar Skyward. "B-But I can use my weapons, right?" Laughing quietly, he said, "I'll just blow them up with my bombs!"

Skyward laughed again, locking eyes with the younger hero. "Oh, what a vivid imagination you possess, Twilight. However, the moment you stepped into this realm, all your weapons - even your sword and shield - were stripped from you. You are now left defenseless as you run for your life around this world, chasing down the Tears that litter the area. Not only that, but if you receive one single blow from those pursuing you..."

Switching back to his happy-go-lucky voice, Skyward smiled happily and chirped, "you get to start aaaaall over again! Yay for frustration and irritation!"

Midna threw a ball of magic at Skyward's head before snarling. "We're getting off track. Back to the flashbacks!"

**Fi didn't react at all to the shock on the Headmaster's face. Spreading her cloth-like arms, a blue light shone between them, causing a fragment of a large stone tablet to appear. Pushing it toward Skyward, the slab floated in front of the shocked hero.**

"**The tablet with illuminate a path through the clouds to the land below." Fi turned, gesturing to the empty altar behind her. "Take it, and place it within the altar behind me."**

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "And that is...?"

Midna slapped him. "Were you listening at all, dimwit?"

"No, it's alright," Skyward replied, not wanting the younger hero to lose any more brain cells. "That was the Emerald Tablet."

**Before Link could step forward, Fi began speaking again. "Master, the first thing you must do is hit the crest sitting in the room with a Skyward Strike. These blasts are formed of pure energy that charges within your blade when you lift it skyward. Once you have charged your blade, fast the crest and swing your sword to send out a powerful Skyward Strike. **

**Though hesitant, the young hero made his way forward to the altar, gazing at the floating crest of the goddess. Letting out a breath, Skyward raised the blade upward, eyes widening as the light collected around the blade. Slashing it downward, the hero stepped back as the crest suddenly shone like crystal, its stone texture changing to a transparent mineral. It spun in a circle as the energy from the Skyward Strike was absorbed.**

"Skyward Strikes seem very useful," Twilight commented, observing how they could travel some distance. "No need for a Clawshot to grapple enemies closer."

"They can do a little bit of range," Skyward replied, shaking his head. "But they're weak. They do get stronger as the sword is honed with Flames, though. And if the sword as a Skyward Strike in store and I do a Spin Attack-" The older hero smiled, showing his white canines. "Then it's usually an instakill."

**A pillar rose from the ground, leaving a large rectangular slot open. Skyward walked over and placed the Emerald Tablet in, waiting for something to happen.**

Suddenly, the scenery changed to the night Sky, and Twilight gave a loud, girlish shriek as he realized that they were all floating above the clouds. Midna rolled her eyes. From the statue in the distance from Skyloft, a green light shot across the sky, reaching a point in the clouds where it hovered up into a giant pillar of green light. Then, their surroundings changed back to the statue.

"Oh my goddess," Twilight gasped, feeling weakness in his knees. "Oh my goddess."

**Fi nodded as she watched the tablet slide into place. "Master, it is done," she reported. "Until now, a cloud barrier created by the goddess has separated the world you know from the one below. The tablet you placed in the altar has opened a small rift in the barrier. You can use it to travel through the clouds to the realm below."**

**Fi floated a little closer, her toes barely touching the ground. "I have recognized you as my master, and so it is my duty to follow you wherever you may go. I reside within your sword and will accompany you in your travels. Simply call my name when you require my assistance."**

**Jumping up in the air, Fi curled into a ball, shifting into a sphere of blue light before she shot back into the Goddess Sword.**

"Fi's like Midna," the younger hero noticed, sitting down on the ground while watching. "They both travel along in some convenient and never get noticed by anyone else."

"How does Midna travel?" Skyward asked, sitting down beside his descendant.

Midna slipped into Twilight's shadow, causing Skyward to yelp. Then she popped out. "I just sink into his shadow," she commented in an easygoing manner. "No harm done. Though people look at him weird when they seem him talking to his shadow."

Blinking, Skyward blushed. "I guess I never thought about people seeing me talk to my sword." Then, turning to Twilight, he laughed. "We must've seemed schizophrenic to others, huh?"

**Gaepora walked up to Skyward, eyes still wide in amazement. "Skyward, listen a moment. The nature of the great apocalypse mentioned in the old texts is a mystery to me. But whatever it turns out to be, it seems that both you and Zelda have big roles to play in the destiny of this land." Making large gestures with his arms, the Headmaster smiled. "Just think - if what Fi says is true, Zelda is alive! Alive and no doubt coming to terms with whatever it is the goddess has in store for her."**

Twilight's eyebrows furrowed as he listened in closer. "I can't help but notice that you use the term 'goddess' and not 'goddesses'. Why's that?"

Skyward looked confused as he crossed his arms. "The golden goddess Hylia, of course. Why would there be any other goddesses?"

Midna raised an eyebrow, sitting of Twilight's head, causing the younger hero to let out a small complaint. "The three goddess. Farore, Nayru, and Din."

"Farore? Nayru? Din?" The elder hero thought for a moment. "You mean Faron, Lanayru and Eldin? Because they're dragons and definitely not goddesses. I'm pretty sure Eldin would be offended, though Faron would love that."

"Nevermind," Twilight sighed. "Just some more weird time difference stuff."

**Gaepora gave a worried look as he clasped Skyward's shoulders. "Should you heed to call of destiny, I don't know what dangers you may have to face, Skyward. Especially down there... but if you've decided to brave the unknown, please find my daughter and bring her back to me."**

**Turning and glancing around the dim room, the Headmaster sighed. "What we've seen here today defies explanation, but it is only the start of your journey. Please, see through it and prove the legends true."**

**Skyward nodded, determination burning in his blue eyes. "Of course, Headmaster. I'll bring Zelda back."**

**Gaepora gave a wide smile, bringing in the hero for a hug. "You do your people proud, Link!" Then, seeing how the night was slowly fading away into morning, the Headmaster frowned. "Dawn is drawing near. It has been a long night for both of us, hasn't it?" Looking at Skyward's casual Skyloftian clothing, he frowned. "You have a great journey ahead of you, and those clothes... they don't look up to the task."**

"Ah," Midna smiled, leaning forward. "Here we go."

"**The uniform you were to receive for winning the race should be ready by now. A sturdy uniform like that will prove much more suitable for a long journey. You'd better change before you go."**

"Iconic and helpful," Twilight mused happily. "But these green tunics - they're amazing."

"Yeah," Skyward agreed, nodding. "They can withstand anything. It's crazy."

**Link gave a determined nod.**

The scene slowly changed once more.


End file.
